Thursday, December 24, 2009

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao went hungry to redraw the political map of India by carving out a new state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. "There were questions on whether he was doing it for the cause of Telangana or to regain lost ground in State politics. Such apprehensions seemed vindicated when he nearly gave up his fast within two days of commencing it, in Khammam sub-jail, before being forced by agitating students of Osmania and Kakatiya universities to continue [Frontline]."

TRS was not formed on a deep rooted ideology, but was a result of political opportunism. When N. Chandrababu Naidu, then Chief Minister, denied a cabinet berth to Chandrasekhar Rao, he resigned as Deputy speaker of AP assembly and floated the Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS). "It is now debated whether K. Chandrasekhar Rao would have formed a party if he had not been denied a ministerial berth in Chandrababu Naidu's TDP cabinet."

What is the problem?
It is not just the political opportunism that has raised the Telangana issue, lack of socio-economic development of the region is true to the large extent.
1. Geographically, Telengana is a region of scanty rainfall, and accessing water for irrigation from Krishna, Godavari rivers has been difficult unlike the coastal Andhra where there is a comprehensive irrigation system. Thus, agriculture remained underdeveloped for decades.

2. People of Andhra have an advantage in securing jobs because of their higher levels of education. Though Mulkis are given adequate preference in jobs, such preferences are subjected to certain posts and only to certain extent. [Mulkis are those who are born in the region or had resided there continuously for 15 years].

3. Though people of Andhra and Rayalaseema in Telangana region are a microscopic minority, they dictate the terms with their money and influence, says Prof. K. Jayashankar, ideologue of TRS. To some extent, Telangana movement is also because of people whose identity has been eroded by dominant narratives.

Carving out a new state: does it help?
"If enhanced socio-economic development is the primary objective of the formation of the smaller states, the track record of Uttarkhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, created nine years ago, are disappointing. In case of Jharkhand, the past nine years have only produced one corrupt government after another, leading to total disregard for the economic and developmental concerns of the people. Recently concluded election results have given rise to a hung assembly and Shibu Soren is set to become a king maker. Yet another corrupt government in waiting! Chhattisgarh was virtually bled by Maoist and created chaos in the lives of citizen. Uttarkhand though fared comparatively better, but here too, there have been no spectacular gains.

Creating Telangana based on the objective of socio-economic development may prove to be incorrect. Unlike Jharkhand, Telangana is not blessed with rich natural resources. "Geography has been unfair to Telengana, and negligence by successive governments has added to the problem." Political loyalty in the region is divided. Less than two weeks before his "fast-unto-death", K. ChandrasekharRao was a marginalized politician whose principles were questioned even by some of his supporters. Not everyone in Telangana considers KCR as their undisputed leader. There are politicians within Telangana who oppose the formation of new state and Congress has a support in the region to a significant extent. Thus, political instability will be a death blow to the development work in the region.

Right from the beginning, Telangana movement is, to a large extent, deep rooted in political opportunism rather than socio-economic development. "The demand for a separate Telangana state has always been an emotive issue and politicians have frequently used it to their advantage. The region’s backwardness, unemployment and absence of development have repeatedly provided a rallying point for ambitious politicians [Frontline]."

What we need is a single pointed focus on socio-economic development within the existing setup. Carving out a new state for development reasons may not work as we have seen in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarkhand.

Consequence of "Telangana State"
Andhra Pradesh was the first state to be created on linguistic basis and the creation of Telangana will raise serious questions about the states reorganization based on language. Support for Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Bodoland in Assam, Harit Pradesh and Buldelkhand in Uttar Pradesh, Gorkhaland, Kamtapur and Cooch Behar in Bengal, etc... would increase in the post Telangana scenario and would lead to violent situations. Such movements are not only against the federal spirit, they would strike a coup-de-grace to the philosophy of unity in diversity. "Furthermore, when a state is carved out of another, it will be a small state that tends to be at the mercy of the central government." Autonomy of the state will be affected and will raise serious questions on center-state relations.

What should government do to arrest such divisive forces?
There can be no alternative to 'development works' to arrest such divisive forces. Equal distribution of benefits from development activities should be the guiding principle. Though this may sound as a rhetoric and theoretical, there is no better solution yet. However, under the current scenario, following ideas can be noted.

Amend Article 3 of the constitution to restrict the power of parliament to freely alter the boundaries of states. Or may be give more power to the Rajya Sabha in the matters of altering the state boundaries. Article 3 has given parliament a liberal power to alter the boundaries of the states. Such power was based on historical and political reasons rather than social, cultural or linguistic divisions of the people themselves. This 'liberal power' of the parliament is not desirable should there be a cordial relation between center and states. Such amendment would discourage "politics" in creating new states.

Appoint a second states reorganization committee to study the issue of "separate state" comprehensively and suggest such measures which would help in strengthening the unity and raising the federal spirit.

Access to state institutions should be made easy. For example, regional high court benches should be established as it is done in Karnataka in the recent past.

Considering regional factors in state and central planning so that development policy implementation is more meaningful.

Leaders from the underdeveloped regions of the state should be given adequate ministerial berths in the state government.

Center should be proactive in providing positive discriminatory aid to the underdeveloped regions of the state.

Taking special measures to arrest regional disparities within the states. etc...

"Regional disparities have increased in the post-reform period. Greater attention needs to be paid to the specific needs of the backward regions and states to allocate adequate and more equitable investment of scarce resources."

Sunday, December 6, 2009

"I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!"

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

This post is exclusively for the former, present and future members of ISTE students' chapter, NITK. :)

I was looking for something from the back up CDs, burnt during college days, which had gathered tons of dust and I wasn't even sure if they would work. To my surprise, ISTE back up CD did work! But not before failing twice. I was able to retrieve some memorable 'TechSplash' videos.

For those who are non-ISTEians/non-NITKians and still reading, ISTE (Indian Society for Technical Education) NITK chapter is a students' group intended "to make the student community actively participate in ISTE activities and to provide a common platform to exhibit their talent, which helps in the career development [copied from here :)]." TechSplash was a national level technical symposium at NITK Surathkal organized by ISTE Students' chapter. Now, it is subsumed by 'Engineer' which is collectively organized by all the students' groups at NITK. 'Engineer' has grown to become one of the biggest in the country.

Here are those videos I have uploaded on YouTube. Take a look and Njoy maaDi!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

His picture-perfect straight drive, his "unique punch style of hitting the ball over square", his "technique, compactness and shot production" are always a treat to watch. I still remember those days when i used to watch cricket at my friend's house during exams, just to escape those stairy looks from my father! The semester exams did not stop me from watching cricket in hostel TV room, some times with class notes in hand! In fact when I was in school, one of my 'great uncle' used to say, "ಇವನ ಆಟ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ಕೂತ್ರೆ ಈ ಜನ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನ್ ಪಾಸ್ ಆಗೊಲ್ಲ! (If you keep on watching this guy's game, you will never pass in the exam!)." Thats the kind of attraction Sachin Tendulkar's game has.

Despite many changes in the last twenty years, one thing has not changed - presence of Tendulkar in Indian line up. It's not just his style of batting, but his work ethics and conduct, on and off the field, that have inspired millions. "A lot of other young men today see Tendulkar’s runs, eye his wealth, but their brattishness comes in the way of noticing his work ethic. For Tendulkar’s life is not the story of extraordinary ability but of an extraordinary work ethic [Harsha Bhogle]." Most of us hardly bother to know how many hours he might have spent in nets to get that one shot absolutely right. His tenacity in the nets has often brought a disciplined display of immense maturity in his batting. "He still approaches every game like a child would, when it gets a bar of chocolate; feeling happy and fortunate."

A lot has been said and written about Sachin Tendulkar, after all he has been the most analysed cricketer in the history of the game. But, what really inspire me is his impeccable focus. "He has consciously avoided controversy, remaining an intensely private individual while displaying his talent to millions. He may not have gone to college, but life has perhaps taught him more than he could have ever learnt in the classroom. He is fully aware of his commercial value but his badge of identity is that he is the Maharashtrian middle class boy who has remained true to his roots [Rajdeep Sardesai]."

Adulation of billion people has never diverted his focus in the game. In fact he prefer to look at a positive side of adulation and takes the responsibility "to server the country" through cricket. This is extremely important in the times when politics and religion are dividing the people. Cricket can be a means to unite people from every corner of India. It is in this sense that Tendulkar thinks playing for India is "serving the country". His scintillating knock against England after 26/11 was a testimony to this fact. On the other hand, at times, critics have questioned his form and consistency, but it was his single pointed focus and subsequent performance that proved the critics wrong.

It is no secret to learn that, despite two decades of cricket, Tendulkar has plenty of energy and enthusiasm to win the matches for India. Unequivocally, "he is the greatest Indian sportsman of my generation and the way he still has his feet on the ground with absolutely none of the prima donna attitude that you read about with the younger players is something special and a rare quality that any person, in any field can learn from him."

It's not just the sportsperson who derive inspiration from Sachin's game and work ethics, but any one who has a pure and intense desire to achieve "something" in life can find "that" inspiration from Sachin. Who can explain this better than the little master himself? ".....mistakes happen, but it really doesn't matter as long as you know from the bottom of your heart that you tried your best and this is the best you could have done..."..."..when you really want to do something, don't think of sacrifices, they will have to be made."

Thursday, August 20, 2009

"The dinosaurs passed away eight months ago and the early mammal replaced them. In the middle of last week, in Africa, some manlike apes developed into ape like man and at the weekend mother earth began shivering with the latest series of extremely cold ice-ages. Just over four hours have elapsed since a new species Homosapiens came into existence and in the last hour it invented agriculture and settled down. Just about 30 minutes back the Pre-Harappan and Early Harappan cultures started developing. Just about 14 minutes back Buddha delivered his first sermon at Saranath , and the Mauryan empire flourished about 12 minutes back. Harsha gave all, whatever he had, the religious assembly at Prayag about 7 minutes back, and Akbar made a pilgrimage to Sufi Saint Salim Chisti just about two minutes back. India became a proud independent nation hardly two seconds back!!"

I came across this interesting observation while browsing randomly. (Read on scribe, page 58). What really made me wonder was, India became proud independent nation hardly two seconds back!! When our great-great-....-great grandchildren write our history, India's partition and Jaswant Singh's controversial book will not even receive their attention!

Imagining that mother earth is 46 years old is one of the best way to understand the relation between earth and all that exists on it. When we write her life history, we find that we know nothing about the first seven years of her life, but the deeds of her later childhood are to be seen in the old rocks. Most of what we recognise on earth, including all substantial life is the product of the last six years of its life (i.e , 600 m.y.). She flowered, in her middle age. Her continents were quite bare of life till she was almost 42 and flowering plants did not appear until she was 45 - just a year ago. At that time the great reptiles , including the dinosaurs, came into existence and the break-up of the last super-continent was in progress.

If we look at our history in another way, say a picture was taken every 5000 years, we would have 1,00,000 (one lakh) negatives. If we make a film (movie) using those one lakh pictures, then the movie would last just an hour! In the last 3 seconds human beings appear and the civilized man appears just in the last tenth of a second!

All the evils in our society - wars, class conflicts, terrorism, communalism and all sorts of violence - would find no place for our attention in 46 year history of mother earth! What if all those who are responsible for all sorts of violence take a look at this simple fact and realize that life of human race is transient in the long history of mother earth? What if they realize the transient nature of human race and stop all sorts of violence? Why can't we all live in harmony as long as we are here?

Sunday, August 9, 2009

"You do not require an invitation to make profits", said Dhirubhai Ambani. Today, that is exactly why Mukhesh and Anil are fighting for - to make profits. Though Kokilaben Ambani was successful in placating her sons over Reliance empire sharing, her words no more appeal to Ambani brothers. They only believe in "making profits", but both the brothers, on their way of making profits, have forgotten the larger public interest which is at stake due to their hostility. More over, it is not just theAmbani brothers who share the blame, but lack of sound policy from government on natural gas has made the situation worse.

Genesis of this problemThe court case between (Mukhesh's) RIL and (Anil's) RNRL are primarily about pricing and utilisation. The government run NTPC too has it's stake in the outcome. The genesis of this problem "can be traced back to Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas's (MOPNG) failure to act decisively at the beginning. First, the ministry was a mute spectator as NTPC issued it's global tender to buy 12 mmscmd (Million Metric Standard Cubic Meter Per Day) of gas and RIL won the tender with a surprisingly low bid of $2.4/mmbtu (Million British thermal unit). The ministry continued to watch as RNRL (then a group company of RIL, before split, now with Anil) cited the NTPC auction as reference and signed an in-house agreement with RIL (now with Mukhesh). The agreement was for 28 mmscmd for the same price, i.e. $2.4/mmbtu. So clearly, more than twice the quantity promised to NTPC! [Data: EPW, July 25, 2009 issue]."

At that time, reliance empire was not yet divided. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas was not interested to intervene then. Now, after fresh discovery of natural gas resources in KrishnaGodavari basin, government fixed the gas price at $4.21/mmbtu. Mukhesh wants Anil to pay $4.21/mmbtu sine the price has been increased by government. But Anil says Mukhesh is not honouring the agreement that enabled Anil to buy gas at $2.4/mmbtu from RIL . Bombay High Court asked both the brothers to go back to their mother and settle the matter peacefully. But, they didn't like high court's advise and both the brothers filed affidavit in Supreme Court asking for intervention.

Government's apathy towards stronger gas policyThe confrontation of Ambani brothers is not just a matter of settling gas price but it reflects the failure of government to lay down a clear cut policy on natural gas. The exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons is being governed by the New Exploration and Licencing Policy (NELP) since 1999. Where as, the (gas) pipelines and distribution of gas is being regulated by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). The ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is responsible for laying down the policies on natural gas so that public interest is protected and monopoly over natural gas is (as far as possible) avoided. "There are examples of countries that have controlled market structures before opening up their gas sector", but in India the "regulator has no role in determining the price of the gas - instead the price is expected to be market-determined." More over, there have been serious concerns about transparency of exploration policy (NELP) contracts which are worth billions of dollars.

Neither the Directorate General of Hydrocarbon, nor Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board have sound a framework for natural gas policy. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is yet to play a big role in effectively regulating market structure on natural gas. "In contrast, Ministry has been silent about the developing market structure and has so far been passive. [EPW, July 25, 2009 issue]."

Oligopoly in gas sectorThe exploration and production is dominated by only two players, ONGC and RIL. It's important to note that, RIL is not only the major player in the production, transmission and distribution but also a potentially big consumer of gas with its own interests in petrochemicals. The ministry needs to step in and create a healthy environment with its revised gas policy so that public interest is protected when there are issues like the one betweenAmbani brothers.

Three way struggleNow that the issue has been taken up by Supreme court, it is expected to take a "broader perspective of the case and could consider the national significance of D6 gas project, rather than focusing only on the terms of the RIL-RNRL gas sales agreement." It is possible that both Mukhesh and Anil could end up loosing something from their side to settle the matter. Because, "gas does not belong to either Mukesh or Anil Ambani. It belongs to the government." "If Anil's RNRL is able to keep the government out of this dispute or even neutralize its stance, it will be quite helpful for them." That may not be possible because government/NTPC too has some stake in the matter. More over Mukhesh is "trying to portray the dispute as one between RNRL and the government rather than one between RIL and RNRL" due to government's decision on the gas price at $4.21. So, there is a three way struggle between Mukhesh, Anil and the government. There is no doubt that in apex court's verdict, government's apathy towards making sound policy framework on natural gas will be exposed and if there are going to be some radical changes in government's policies on natural gas in the near future, it shouldn't surprise anyone.

Ambanis conviction to uphold their father's valuesApart from this pricing issue, Ambani brothers have a long way to go. Handing over the empire to her sons, Kokilaben Ambani had said, "I am confident that both Mukesh and Anil, will resolutely uphold the values of their father and work towards protecting and enhancing value for over three million shareholders of the Reliance Group, which has been the foundational principle on which my husband built India's largest private sector enterprise." However, the way things are going, the questions are being raised over their conviction to uphold the values set by their father.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Almost a decade after the idea of "Right to Education" was mooted bySupreme court (Unni Krishnan vs State of Andhra Pradesh, 1993) the BJP led NDA government had brought a constitutional amendment in 2002 making education a fundamental right. A new article (21-A) was inserted in Part III of the constitution. But a "suitable legislation" was needed to give effect and make this fundamental right a reality. After a long wait of seven years, right to education bill is finally passed by both houses of the parliament. "Now it is a constitutional right for the child. It is the obligation and compulsion of state governments and the central government to provide that education." The very idea behind making education a fundamental right is that, if anyone is deprived of this right, concerned party can sue the government under Article 32 (for violation of fundamental right by govt.) and can get justice directly from supreme court (Article 32 - Right to constitutional remedies - is available only in the case of Fundamental rights).

Though Education is a concurrent subject (meaning providing education is the responsibility of both central and state govts), "this legislation is intended not to interfere with the state government's attempts to provide elementary education. More over, there is a provision to provide elementary education, as far as possible, in the mother tongue of the child. The law would ensure that the child got free, compulsory and quality education by qualified teachers.[The Hindu]"

Section 21 of the bill makes it obligatory for the school to constitute a "School Management Committee" consisting of the elected representatives of the local authority, parents or guardians of children admitted in such school and teachers. The committee will be responsible for preparing a 'School development plan' that would be the basis for plans and grants to be made by the appropriate Government or local authority. Also, the legislation speaks about monitoring of child's right to education and redressal of grievances. The bill has even taken care of giving child a right to be transfer to other schools in appropriate circumstances.

What are the main Features of the bill?

Free and compulsory education to all children of India in the 6 to 14 age group;

No child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until completion of elementary education;

Provides for 25 percent reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in admission to Class One in all private schools;

School teachers will need adequate professional degree within five years or else will lose job;

School infrastructure (where there is problem) to be improved in three years, else recognition cancelled;

Financial burden will be shared between state and central government.[source]

Also, No school can collect capitation fee and subject children or their parents to any form of screening. In case a school collects the capitation fee, it can be fined upto 10 times the amount. And, if tests or interviews are conducted, a school can be fined Rs.25,000 for the first violation and Rs. 50,000 for every subsequent violation.

What are the issues raised by critics?
Disabled Rights Group (DRG), an organisation working for the differently-abled people, alleged that the current form of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2008 had left out children with disabilities while defining the "disadvantaged" group. But, If one looks at the legislation "in it's entirety", its conspicuous that state govt has "obligations" to include differently abled children. That is what HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said in the parliament. "When we frame the model rules for the implementation of the legislation, we will ensure that children suffering from disabilities must be included among the disadvantaged children," the minister said. "This would be the first time in India that disabled children would be integrated in the school system." More over, the minister said there was another legislation of the 1990s that spoke of equal opportunities and this "is being amended to include certain differently abled categories in that legislation". More over, no government can take a risk of ignoring differently-abled cildren. So this concern will be addressed adequately.

Another major concern has been on financial requirement of the gigantic task. The minister's team is going to work with 13th Finance commission before completion of its term in October this year. Since the implementation of Right to Education is a concurrent subject and also a fundamental right, the 13th finance commission will be compelled to recommend necessary grants-in-aid for this task. More over, government will be under immense pressure to provide funds since Right to education is now a fundamental right.

Also, concern related to teacher's training, quality of teaching, school infrastructure etc have been adequately addressed in the legislation itself.

The way forward
The Supreme court had observed that, "Right to education is implicit in and flows from the right to life guaranteed by Article 21. That the right to education has been treated as one of transcendental importance in the life of an individual [and] has been recognized not only in this country since thousands of years, but all over the world. without education being provided to citizens of this country, the objectives set forth in the Preamble to the Constitution cannot be achieved. The Constitution would fail."

This bill alone cannot make India a great knowledge center - the vision set by our forefathers - but this will certainly be the first step towards achieving that objective. The minister and his government and also the citizen have a huge responsibility to move forward and make progress in secondary and higher education also. The recent report submitted by Prof. Yashpal Committe is another visionary document and if implemented, we may see some fundamental change in the higher education system. Mr.Sibal is keen on implementing Prof. Yashpal report which is definitely a good news. He has taken a big step towards making India a knowledge hub. Only time can tell us if this big step can one day change the lives around.

Friday, July 17, 2009

It's not often that we go out to meet our classmates. But when some one is getting married, its definitely a great idea to attend the wedding and catch up with friends back in college. 28th June was one of those days. Some of my friends and I decided that we should meet at a 'Coffee day' and then proceed to attend a friend's wedding reception. It was a cloudy mansoon day and I reached the place quite on time and parked my bike 'in between many bikes' over there. Sigh of relief! i could find some place to park my bike. As usual, there were just couple of guys who came before me. We didn't expect many guys to turn up. Its understandable, that we don't get as much time as we had back in college. That was okay. Five of us made it to the place and few others told us that they will reach the reception hall directly. We had some 'quality time' recollecting our college days. I came out of the Coffee day and learnt that my bike was taken by Traffic Police! I was fooled by many others who parked their bike at the same place. Only later did I realize that there was an 'unclear' board which read, 'No Parking'!

Two of my other friends had bike and we were five. We were already getting late and decided to hire a taxi. We left the other two bikes there and went to the reception. Reception was colorful and food was delicious. We could meet many of our college friends and got a chance to crack the old jokes again. On the way back we hired another taxi and it cost us around 500 bucks both ways. I was still thinking about my super bike which, i think, was having tough time in police station. It was already 10.30PM and i decided to get my bike next day. I went home and slept peacefully.

The next day, around 11AM, I went to ATM and withdrew some money and reached the police station. I could find my bike in police station. The rain in the night had washed my bike. Cleaned up bike put a smile on my face! I spoke to a police constable there and told him that I will pay the fine and asked him to release my bike. He asked me 300 bucks but told me that I have to collect the receipt in the evening. I was bit hesitant to do that. Because one of my friend was asked the same but never got a receipt. I learnt that only Sub inspector can issue the receipts. He gave me another option to give 200 bucks and take my bike. I said I need the receipt. He pretended that he was just trying to help me. He then searched his cupboard for receipt book. I knew that it wasn't the original receipt book. One of my uncle who is a journalist had caught a police officer issuing fake receipts and collecting money.

I told him that, "Sir, I thought the receipt will have three copies."
"What?, do you think i am cheating?".
"No sir, I just remember seeing those carbon copies when i had paid fine last time."
"Okay, I think you don't want us to help you. You can wait till 12PM, our Sub-Inspector will come and handle your case."
"Okay sir", I said.
Sitting in the police station and listening to their conversation was not really exciting. I saw another officer giving money to couple of constables there. You don't need to be a spy to know that it was a bribed money which they were sharing.
Sub inspector finally came and I politely said, "Namaste sir".
"haan, whats wrong with you?"
"Nothing sir, i just came to get my bike that you had brought here yesterday."
"Ok, you need to pay Rs.300 fine"
"Sure sir, will do."
He too was opening a receipt book which had no carbon copies, I told the same thing, "Sir, I thought the receipt will have three copies."
He just repeated what other officer had said, "Do you think i am trying to cheat you and police department?"
I (again) said, "No sir, I just remember seeing those carbon copies when i had paid fine last time."
He finally opened another receipt book (which was original I guess) and gave me the receipt for 300 bucks (100 for towing, 200 as a 'No Parking' fine).

When i was about to put my wallet back in the pocket, i did notice something and opened it again. I was shocked to realize that i left my debit card in the ATM! Blame it on Corporation bank ATM which takes the card inside until the transaction is over and also it was my 'ignorance' (for the first time, for this kind).

I rushed to the Corporation Bank branch and met the manager, he told me that the card will be taken back by the machine if i don't collect it in time and it will be sent to my bank by the ATM officials. I went home with lot of disappointment. I called up ICICI customer care to block my account and they told me that, since it was lost in non-ICICI bank, the card will be destroyed by that bank. I had to place a request for new card and wait for 10 days. Though there was an option of getting a duplicate card within a day, that 'instant card' wouldn't have my name on it. I thought, it's nice to have my name on the new card!

It was a salary day and I didn't have my ATM card. I had to borrow some money from a friend. Only later did i realize that i should have asked him some more money so that i could send some to my father. I decided to go to bank branch and withdraw money using my cheque book. The next day (1st July), i paid my broadband bill on the way to bank. I decided to pay my credit card bill there since my account was blocked. After withdrawing the money, i paid my credit card bill 'in cash'. Later in that day, i went to SBI and deposited some money in my father's account.

For the next two days, I didn't get any SMS on my mobile for paying credit card bill, so i decided to call up customer care and check with them. They told me that that transaction has never happened! I said, "I can show you the receipt". They asked me to check with the branch. I was not willing to go all the way to that branch and asked for the phone number. The customer care guy said that they don't have a policy of giving branch phone number to any one! "what the heck?", I thought. Coincidentally, I had not taken my bike to office that day. Since that office location is too far, i traveled by bus. That particular branch was 20+ Km away from my office. I took one of my friend's bike and reached the bank. The same guy who collected my money was there at the counter. I told him what happened and he asked to me to wait for some time so that he can search for my Pay in slip. He found that he had wrongly entered my credit card number (he had messed up with one digit) while making the transaction! I kept my cool, and asked him about how I can get back my money. He asked me not to worry and said he will ensure that, money reached my credit card account in 24 hours. I had my lunch on the way to office and was too tired to focus on work. Some how managed to finish off the remaining work and went home.

After couple of days (8th July), I called up customer care and asked the status of my debit card. The lady with a melodious voice told me that the card was sent to my office address and said i wasn't there at my location when the guy had come to handover my card! I was neither called on my extension nor on my mobile. I thought something is wrong with ICICI guys. I then placed a request for sending the card to nearest ICICI branch so that i can collect it from there. She said it will take minimum three days. "Okay", I said. After a day (9th july) I got an SMS saying that i can collect the card after three days and within three months. Sigh!

Exactly after three days (13th July) I went to the branch i had specified in my request and asked if i can collect my ATM card. "Your card has not yet reached our branch, sir", the good looking lady told me. It was really frustrating to go back home without my card.

After two days (on 15th July), I decided to go to that branch and collect my ATM card. It was cloudy and quite gloomy mansoon whether with some drizzle. Road to that branch was already wet. I was riding at around 40-45Kmph speed. There was a fast moving 'Pulsor' dude, who suddenly took a left turn from extreme right and the poor auto guy had to hit his bike. The auto fell sidewards and i had to apply both the breaks to avoid further damage. My bike was already skidding and went out of control. My knee and forearm kissed the newly constructed road and I managed to escape unhurt without any serious injuries. The lady sitting inside the auto was really struggling to get out of the mess. I ran towards auto and helped the driver and the lady get out of the fallen auto. Luckily no serious injuries had happened to them. The Pulsor dude was already eating unpleasant words from everyone gathered there. I had a sigh of relief for the unhurt escape and decided to move on from that place and reached the bank. I noticed that little bit of blood had come out of my knee and forearm, it wasn't paining much and I thought it should be okay after the first aid.

I waited for my turn to collect the ATM card. The same good looking lady confirmed that my card has reached the branch. I had to show my ID proof to collect the card. I did. Just before leaving, i asked the lady, "Ma'am when did this card reach your branch?". She looked into a register book and told me that it reached on 13th July (the day I last visited the branch). "Sir, I think we received on the same day you visited our branch, may be some time in the evening." It was really frustrating to know that; especially when i remembered that accident.

After collecting my card, I went to the nearest hospital to get the first aid. They sent me to accident and emergency department. I was asked to lie down on a bed there and a nurse brought some instruments. She was about to check my BP and I told her, "ma'am, I am perfectly alright, i just need first aid and possibly the TT injection."
"No sir, we have to ensure you don't have any internal damage", she said.
I asked, "How much are you going to charge for all these stuff?"
"We need to create a new case file and do preliminary checking, that would cost you around Rs. 400-500, sir"
Without wasting much time there, I said, "Thank you ma'am, I'll just get a first aid kit in medical store and treat myself."
She understood. A lady doctor came and told me, "Son, get a TT injuction from pharmacy. You must have that. I will cover your wounds with bandage."
"Okay ma'am, thats great!", I said.
I went to pharmacy department there and got what she had written on the piece of paper. That cost me eighteen bucks. She was generous to administer that injuction. She even gave the first aid to my wounds. I came out of the hospital and ate my lunch at the canteen there.

I was still contemplating on the whole mess after the "No Parking" episode. If I had parked my bike at the right place, i wouldn't have gone to police station. If i was not required to go to police station, i wouldn't have lost my ATM card. If i had not lost my ATM card I wouldn't have borrowed money from my friend, i wouldn't have had a mess with credit card bill payment, I wouldn't have lost the money for auto charges to reach police station, for police fine, for new debut card issuing fine, there was also 100 bucks fine for paying your credit card bill by cash! etc... etc... If I had got my ATM card on my first visit, i wouldn't have met with an accident!

"Ignorance is never bliss", I knew. Yet, it was my ignorance. Ignorance, of not parking my bike at the right place, of not collecting my card from the ATM machine, that made me walk in the hell. When all these thoughts were really making me get frustrated, one of my friend called me on my mobile (after a long time actually) and asked, "Dude, how you doing!?". "Still breathing", I said.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Though we still call recent incidents in Australia as "alleged racist attacks", one cannot deny the involvement of "racist elements" in such incidents, especially when it happens so often. According to some long term observers, the problem of so called "curry bashing" is nothing new in Australia [The term 'curry bashing' is generally used for describing verbal or physical attacks on Indians]. "Outside the classroom, Indian students are said to have been subjected to either verbal abuse or robbery by apparent gangsters. The brutal attack on Sravan Kumar Theerthala in a Melbourne suburb outraged Indian students [frontline]" which led to widespread protests on the streets of Melbourne and the subsequent events immediately caught the attention of rest of the world. Every event of "curry bashing" becoming much more than a cameraman's delight.

Ever since Australian shores started attracting Indians for higher studies and jobs, alleged racist attacks have been reported in Australia. The situation is not so unique in Australia. Such incidents have been taking place in countries like US, UK, Germany, France and some African and Gulf countries also. Alleged racial attacks in Australia have raised the same old question for which every one of us would like to know the answer: Why such attacks? Is it because every continent has it's own "Homo Sapien" species? Is it because our history hasn't taught us the value of peaceful coexistence? Is it because Darwinian theory of "Struggle for existence" still apply to humans?

The answer to such questions is deep rooted in educational, economical, historical and sociological factors.

Firstly, We have IITs, IIMs, and many other reputed universities, but they are simply not sufficient. There is no dearth of talent in India but we need institutes like those in Australia, US, UK etc to channelize our talent so that it can benefit not only the individuals but also the society as a whole. Recently ASSOCHAM has reported that, Students’ exodus costs India a foreign exchange (forex) outflow of $10 billion which is sufficient to setup 20 more premier institutions like IITs and IIMs. UPA government's initiative to set up new IITs and central universities is a welcome move but if those new institutions do not get significant funds for any reason, we cannot obviate the need of students going abroad for higher studies.

Secondly, our growing economy has enabled more people to pursue higher studies abroad if they don't get into their dream universities in India. More over, our knowledge workers have turned out to be cheap labors and they have deprived the job opportunities in foreign countries for their own people. And hence the hatred unconsciously finds it's expression in terms of racial abuse in many plural societies like Australia.

Thirdly, our history has taught us to be proud of our past. We don't want to believe that one country's historical past is just as important as our own. "Their past had been excellent but future is full of intense competition which is extra-individualistic. In the present global financial regime, every one, may it be individual or nation has to find a place for itself not on the basis of its past but on the basis of its present [source]." Surge of Chinese and Indian economy is shaping the contemporary economic history. The lenders (developed countries) of past are becoming borrowers at present. The resultant feeling attached to it, whatever form it may take, cannot be ruled out.

Fourthly, our sociological identity has gained significant importance ever since the colonial rule was uprooted. "The European Countries are finding their erstwhile colonies rubbing shoulders in gatherings at International forums. The sense of hatred which had these centuries been harboring unconsciously precipitates in their mind and find expression in such abhorrable acts of racial attacks [source]."

Finally, our ethics and morality finds no place in our quest for "more". The questions of ethics and morality float only when we start contemplating about an event (like those in Australia) which shouldn't have happened. Unfortunately thats the harsh reality of life.

The way forward:
We are living in a society where physical boundaries have no meaning, thanks to information revolution. Though we cannot rule out the need to go abroad for studies, we must be conscious of foreign country's culture, customs and law of the land. Our own constitution denies many rights to persons who are not citizens. It is obvious that other countries will have their own rules for those who come to their shores. As a result, in alien country, there are some things which we can do and some things we cannot. It is unacceptable for any student or a group to believe that they can take the law into their own hands and engage in so-called retribution attacks or vigilante action. Keeping those aspects in mind, those who go abroad for studies must focus on their primary objective, i.e. higher studies, rest all must be secondary. We may face certain situations where our tolerance will be tested. But, our balanced kind of mind can obviate provocation and hence prevent some serious events like racist attacks.

On the other hand, countries who encourage foreign students to study in their country must have a strong machinery or institution which can detect and prevent the incidents of racism. Fairness of legal system and judicial intervention alone cannot sort out the problems of students. Racist acts at public places like restaurants, entertainment avenues, or any place outside the classroom must be punished with stringent laws/actions. Creating round the clock helpline, grievance redressal forum, multicultural police force are a welcome move and should be strengthened further.

If a foreign country can treat visiting students with a sense of respect and if the visiting students can show a sense of tolerance, there cannot be a room for conflicts. Thus, there is a "need" for "some balance".

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Lankan forces might have killed the Tigers but not their ideology. One cannot deny the fact that, conflict of this magnitude cannot happen without the genuine demands/concerns on both sides. On one hand Sri Lankan Tamils and other minorities had a genuine reason for their struggle, i.e. demand for equality, dignity and decent standards of living. On the other hand democratically elected government at Colombo cannot be a mute spectator for intolerable violence practiced and propagated by LTTE; simply because security of citizen is the first responsibility of government. Lankan crisis is yet another example of class conflict based on language and ethnicity. Unless equality among Lankans is promoted with vigor, there is no reason to believe that another breed of Tigers cannot be born.

1. Roots of Hatred
Sri Lanka secured independence (1948) from British through peaceful negotiations. No one then would have imagined that a mere disagreement in choosing official language could one day lead to huge humanitarian crisis in the island nation. From 1936 to 1944, Lankan leaders favored English for the official language. However, president J.R. Jayawardene (in 1944) favored Sinhala for official language. Prime minister Bandaranaike's proactive move towards making Sinhala as official language led to the passage of "Sinhala Only Act, 1956", which ultimately sown the seeds of ethnic riots. The civil war is a direct result of the escalation of the confrontational politics that followed.

Since then, Sri Lankan minority communities feel that, they had been discriminated by successive majority Sinhalese governments in Colombo. Many youngsters, with the support of diaspora around the world, formed a group to fight against alleged discrimination against Tamils and other minorities. This was the time when "Sun God" - Velupillai Prabhakaran's Tamil New Tigers (1972) was born, which ultimately led to the formation of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1976. Since then, [take a look at chronology of events], several leaders including president Ranasinghe Premadasa, Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and over 80,000 civilians and millitary personnel were killed in the civil war. Peace was contemplated through negotiations but was never achieved.

2. Tigers dragged their feets
Starting from negotiations at Thimpu, Bhutan in 1985, till 2002's ceasefire agreement, brokered by Norway, LTTE always dragged it's feet over one or other issue. LTTE rejected an offer from former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, which provided powers of devolution (a federal solution) and attempted to assassinate her in 1999. After ceasefire agreement in 2002, LTTE signaled willingness to discuss a federal solution. But in 2003, it pulled out of talks after six rounds of negotiations, citing inadequate steps taken to rebuild war-hit areas. "By accepting no compromise and by continuing to use tactics such as assassinations of perceived 'enemies of the cause' and violent retribution, the LTTE brought about its own doom. [EPW, May 30, 2009]."

3. Heightened frustration
Colombo had already lost many of its leaders and thousand of civilians. Assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in February 2005 further escalated it's frustration. In the run-up to the November 2005 presidential election, president Mahinda Rajapaksa promised that he would fight Tigers to the finish. In August 2006, Rajapaksa and his core group made a political resolve to launch a "fight-to-finish" campaign against the Tigers. In the same year, "The LTTE provided the much-needed excuse for the assault when its cadre closed down the Mavil Aru sluice gates in the east, denying water to more than 30,000 civilians. The presidential core team in the campaign included his younger brother and Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and the army chief, Lt Gen. Sarath Fonseka, both of whom had scores to settle with the Tigers (Both had survived assassination attacks earlier).... The Defence Secretary and the army chief proved to be a lethal combination for the LTTE [Frontline]."

4. Fight to finish
"Despite a systematic shelling and bombing campaign that killed thousands of civilians, the Sri Lankan army did not receive anything more than token disapproval or humanitarian appeals from the international community. The Sri Lankan government's ruthless drive to vanquish the "terrorist" LTTE was never halted in the final phase of war by an international community tired of "terror" - a stigma that LTTE carried for its past actions [EPW, May 30, 2009]" On April 26, 2009, LTTE declared a unilateral ceasefire as government forces surround an ever shrinking "no-fire-zone". Colombo rejected the declaration and called it a "joke". On May 18, 2009, V. Prabhakaran, the "Sun God" was finally set. Signalling the end of civil war between Sri Lankan government and LTTE. The vicotry rallies and celebrations due to "Sun God's" death does not hide the enormity of challenges ahead for Rajapaksa and his successors.

5. Post war Challenges
Immediate post war challenge for Rajapaksa government is rehabilitation of more that 150,000 internally displaced civilians. President Rajapaksa has promised that he would complete the rehabilitation process within six months. Even though it sounds ambitious, it is not impossible if international community steps in and help expedite the process. Though Rajapaksa was successful in his "fight-to-finish" campaign against the Tigers, the roots of the conflict cannot be uprooted so soon. Lankan government must address genuine grievances of the Tamils. Present and future administrations at Colombo must make sincere efforts for the welfare of Tamils and other minorities. "Anything short of a federal setup that grants political rights for the oppressed Tamil population would only lead to a further festering of the deep wounds from years of marginalization and alienation of Tamils."

If Rajapaksa and his successors does not make sincere efforts to promote equality, dignity and decent standards of living for Tamils and other minorities, "the seeds would be sown for another militant organization - one that would have learnt from the past mistakes of theLTTE - espousing complete separation [EPW]."

Monday, May 18, 2009

It is remarkable that Indian electorate has simultaneously clipped the wings of "Left" and "Right" while rewarding pro-poor policies coupled with Dr. Singh's strategic approach to "make market work" for India. In some states like West Bengal, I am not sure if the electorate had voted for Congress but they definitely voted against parties who had been seen by voters as spoilers. Nevertheless, at this hour of history, Congress is entitled to take all the credit for the outcome.

It is even more remarkable to note that, India has survived yet another test of democracy. When charismatic Vajpayee's government was defeated in 2004, despite his exceptional leadership, he accepted the verdict humbly and said, "It is always with the will of the people that governments have been formed - and changed. This power of democracy is a matter of pride for our country, something which we must always cherish, preserve and further strengthen..." Our faith in democracy has made India a beacon of democracy surrounded by an ocean of uncertainties.

The immediate challenges ahead of UPA government are "global economic meltdown", "troubles in India's neighborhood" and safety & security. Now that Left is out, Congress can get things done easily at home and it can now focus more on pursuing long term strategic foreign policies. Verdict of 2009's general elections is decisive not only for India but also for the world. Given the kind of uncertainties in South Asea and middle east, the world wanted stable government in Delhi so that India can play a significant role in establishing peace and tranquility in the region. Indian voters have done exactly the right thing by rewarding UPA.

Quite often, "Left" and "Right" wings in India overestimated Dr. Manmohan Singh as an economist and underestimated his abilities as a politician. I think, he has an unusual brand of politics. To strike a balance between coalition partners, Sonia Gandhi's powerful influence and his own position as the de-facto head of the government is never an easy task. I think he has done that successfully. More over, The internal politics of Congress is much more complicated than Indian politics. If one can survive that, he cannot be a weak politician. During 90s, in the era of protectionism and India's own brand of socialism, he was able to convince the leaders about market friendly approach. Yet again, his impeccable position on Indo-US nuclear deal has established his strength and proved his far reaching vision. Only time can prove his political strength as it proved his strength as an economist.

One can only hope that, this victory of democracy will bring much needed peace and stability in the region.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Very soon, "shut up and vote!" will become a new cliché, thanks to the youth of Youngistan who are determined to vote this time, no matter what! Enough has been already spoken about elections and I am sure every one of us don't need more of that since we all want to shut up and vote. Good to know that. Here are some crucial information which may help you on election day (lets call it E-Day!).

Poll dates: 23rd April, 2009 (Bangalore), 30th April in few other parts of Karnataka, See rest of the elections schedule here.

Poll timing: between 8AM to 5PM.

Find your polling booth

You can find the location on google special page for General elections 2009 or Election commission website or search here. Check out the example below.